Islamabad, August 30 (TNS): Former President Pervez Musharraf has revealed that George Tenet, former Central Intelligence Agency chief showed him irrefutable evidence against Pakistan’s nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan.
In an interview with a private news channel, Musharraf said that the CIA head revealed this “bitter revelations” during a secret one-on-one meeting in his suite while he paid an official visit to the United States.
Former military dictator said that George W. Bush asked him to hold a meeting with CIA chief before leaving for Pakistan, saying that it was very ‘important’.
He said that Tenet handed him over photographic and black and white evidence which showed AQ Khan’s involvement in proliferation through a Sri Lankan front man who acted as a double agent, the other side for the United States.
Musharraf re-counted that upon his return he summoned Dr Khan who first denied but later knelt before him and cried.
“Dr. Khan went on to apologize to the nation in a television broadcast following which he was removed from his post” he added.
The former army chief said that the intelligence communication between Pakistan and US agencies was focused on handing the Dr Khan over to US which he had denied.
Musharraf added that Dr Khan was not under a house arrest but it was for his protection.
Ex-President said that he has never been more embarrassed in his life than what he went through after George Tenet showed him the irrefutable evidence.
Musharraf said that being an autonomous body, Khan Research Laboratories had its own security and it was completely inaccessible for agencies, that’s why Dr Khan activities could not be noticed locally.
He denied the claims that he had provided Dr AQ Khan a speech to read out to the nation.
